help....stiffness of joints after getting spayed - is this normal?

my 2 year old Daschund was spayed last month about 2 weeks after the spaying she starting limping and then she got all these sores in her ears , on her nose and her back so i took her back to the vet he said she must have got into something and some kind of bugs or something got under her skin the assistant suggested staff infection...they put her on clindamycin 25 mg two times a day...she seems to be doing a lots better in her ears and on her nose but not on her back but now her back legs seems to be stiffening up on her again....b4 the surgery she was a happy go lucky nothing ever wrong with her kind of puppy could this all be related and what could be wrong and what should I do?

Hi, Jannie! This is likely not at all related to the spaying, as I have never heard of anything like this in connection to a spay surgery. But it does sound like she got some sort of infection somewhere, had some reaction to something, could be anything, and is dealing with that. Has she had any tick bites that you know of?

no tick bites

Originally Posted by Karen

Hi, Jannie! This is likely not at all related to the spaying, as I have never heard of anything like this in connection to a spay surgery. But it does sound like she got some sort of infection somewhere, had some reaction to something, could be anything, and is dealing with that. Has she had any tick bites that you know of?

no tick bites only the lil bug bites or whatever she had that the vet gave her medicine for on her back....and yes she still has about 4 more days of medication left then I guess another trip to the vet if it doesn't clear up. Oh, i forgot to mention she like licks her feet like ALL the time now drives me and her both crazy lol

still on her medicine...

Originally Posted by Freedom

I agree nothing to do with her spay at all.

Is she still getting the medicine or is that all finished? She may need a recheck at the vet.

no tick bites only the lil bug bites or whatever she had that the vet gave her medicine for on her back....and yes she still has about 4 more days of medication left then I guess another trip to the vet if it doesn't clear up. Oh, i forgot to mention she like licks her feet like ALL the time now drives me and her both crazy lol

Definitely if it does not clear up after you finish the medicine, ask about testing for Lyme disease, it is getting more and more prevalent these days, sadly, but can be treated.

And yes, the licking of paws is almost always allergy related, so mention that to your vet if you go, and you might want to change her food to something different, and see if that helps. What is she eating now?

never saw any ticks

Stiffness of joints if there has been tick exposure could mean she has Lyme's disease. You can have her tested for it.

As the others have stated, this has nothing to do with the spay.

I never seen ANY ticks on her at all but as for the symptoms of lymes disease i see some resemblence of it with the stiffness of the joints but I have NEVER took a tick off of Annie I have kept flea and tick medicine on her as for her licking her paws non-stop not sure about that one....all I know is NONE of this started till after she got spayed....wish I woulda never got her spayed :/

Jannie, don't worry, it has nothing to do with the spay, and she will live a longer, healthier life because of that. This is a minor hurdle, compared to the possibility of cancer or worse, pyometra, that could kill her if left unspayed.

Once she finishes her medication, if symptoms persist, do follow up with the vet. Lyme disease is becoming more prevalent in some parts of the US, and the tick needn't stay attached - just one bite is enough to spread the disease, if that is it.

Purina puppy chow has corn as its first ingredient*, and as she is now 2 year old, it is time to switch her to an adult food anyway. Try a lamb and rice based food, Iams makes one, as lots of dogs become allergic to corn, that's pretty common.

I never seen ANY ticks on her at all but as for the symptoms of lymes disease i see some resemblence of it with the stiffness of the joints but I have NEVER took a tick off of Annie I have kept flea and tick medicine on her as for her licking her paws non-stop not sure about that one....all I know is NONE of this started till after she got spayed....wish I woulda never got her spayed :/

I am a registered veterinary technician, and I can whole-heartedly assure you that this has absolutely nothing to do with her being spayed, especially considering these symptoms came up weeks after her surgery. Spaying/neutering your pets is one of the best things you can do for them to keep them healthy!!!!

We have seen patients before with tick bourne disease that the owners claimed to have never seen a tick on them, either. I'm not saying this is what is is, just stating it could be a possibility. In fact, we had one come in today non ambulatory. Sounds like your little girl can walk, it just seems painful.

Forgive me if I've overlooked where you've said this, but have you brought her back in for an appointment specifically for her achiness??

Also, as Karen stated above, corn, wheat, and soy are the top 3 food allergens (beef is also a big one). Switching to a lamb and rice formula may be helpful for allergies. But I encourage you to not ignore the paw licking as it can cause sores and skin infections between her toes! Since she is 2 years old (and especially since she's spayed now) I do also encourage you to switch her to an adult formula as puppy food is high in fat and can cause weight gain.

Keep us updated, and no matter what never think you're a bad pet parent for getting her spayed!!!!

EDIT: I forgot to add - saw you mentioned you keep flea and tick meds on her. Depending on what brand/type of prevention you're using, most topicals do require the tick to bite the host before the product kills the tick. Then they typically die and fall off.

changing dog food today....

Originally Posted by Jessika

I am a registered veterinary technician, and I can whole-heartedly assure you that this has absolutely nothing to do with her being spayed, especially considering these symptoms came up weeks after her surgery. Spaying/neutering your pets is one of the best things you can do for them to keep them healthy!!!!

We have seen patients before with tick bourne disease that the owners claimed to have never seen a tick on them, either. I'm not saying this is what is is, just stating it could be a possibility. In fact, we had one come in today non ambulatory. Sounds like your little girl can walk, it just seems painful.

Forgive me if I've overlooked where you've said this, but have you brought her back in for an appointment specifically for her achiness??

Also, as Karen stated above, corn, wheat, and soy are the top 3 food allergens (beef is also a big one). Switching to a lamb and rice formula may be helpful for allergies. But I encourage you to not ignore the paw licking as it can cause sores and skin infections between her toes! Since she is 2 years old (and especially since she's spayed now) I do also encourage you to switch her to an adult formula as puppy food is high in fat and can cause weight gain.

Keep us updated, and no matter what never think you're a bad pet parent for getting her spayed!!!!

EDIT: I forgot to add - saw you mentioned you keep flea and tick meds on her. Depending on what brand/type of prevention you're using, most topicals do require the tick to bite the host before the product kills the tick. Then they typically die and fall off.

advantix is the brand of flea med.....i am changing the dog food today and she is still taking the medicine. She just doesn't walk unless she needs to lol...kinda scared on changing her food as I don't want to mess her stomach up in addition to her other problems...

To avoid tummy upset when switching foods, you need to slowly transition her from old to new over the course of a few weeks. We tell clients week 1: 3/4 old, 1/4 new. Week 2: 1/2 old, 1/2 new. Week 3: 1/4 old, 3/4 new. Week 4: all new!

Personally, I've switched my dogs over "cold turkey" before with little to no problems (sometimes you run out of food or emergencies happen!!!). It depends on the dog... it isn't HARMFUL to them if you don't transition them slowly, but you will avoid diarrhea (unless their system is VERY sensitive). Since you're giving her "people food" with no problems, I would assume she doesn't have such a sensitive tummy.

new dog food

Originally Posted by Jessika

To avoid tummy upset when switching foods, you need to slowly transition her from old to new over the course of a few weeks. We tell clients week 1: 3/4 old, 1/4 new. Week 2: 1/2 old, 1/2 new. Week 3: 1/4 old, 3/4 new. Week 4: all new!

Personally, I've switched my dogs over "cold turkey" before with little to no problems (sometimes you run out of food or emergencies happen!!!). It depends on the dog... it isn't HARMFUL to them if you don't transition them slowly, but you will avoid diarrhea (unless their system is VERY sensitive). Since you're giving her "people food" with no problems, I would assume she doesn't have such a sensitive tummy.

well i got some lamb and rice dog food tonight we shall see if that helps....if she will just stop the feet licking i will feel like we r making progress lol.....she actually tried playing tonight b4 she went back to her bed....also trying to keep her meds on a consistent every 12 hours apart she has about 3 days left of meds and if she isn't better by then i will be taking her back to the vet....